Thursday, January 20, 2011

Transformation

In the Spring of 2010 I started working out with Jordan at Blackbox. I was getting really good results doing their crossfit workouts. Then this fall she challenged us to do 30 days of strictly Paleo diet. That was for sure a challenge. But I started to notice a difference in my body. My problem areas ( ahem, stomach) were not so much a problem anymore. When I got dressed for the day, I wasn't working around certain bad features. I was comfortable and confident enough to put on whatever I felt like wearing. I'm not going to lie, that was a good feeling knowing that I had put in the hard work and it was paying off. BUT, the main transformation I noticed more than my body was my attitude and mood. I didn't even see this coming. 'Attitude' wasn't even on the list of things I needed to work on. I thought I was just on edge a lot because I have two little kids and that's just part of it. NOPE!! I still have those two little kids and somehow I am much more patient with them. Don't get me wrong, we have those moments...But overall, my mood has changed. I honestly had no idea that was a result of changing your diet.
Then winter rolls around and things start getting a little stressed. Things that were out of my control and just part of life( money, jobs, yada yada yada). When I started to get stressed, I was craving comfort food, which made me feel sick, which led to getting sick. What happened? Oh! That was a habit of mine in the past. Get stressed, eat comfort food, duh. So, once I recognized what was going on , I had to change that habit and nip it in the butt. That involved a lot of arguing with myself inside my head. And I still am working on that one.
So I was working out, eating good...but stressed. Then I started noticing my strength and endurance had gone way down. One day I was running sprints and felt like I was in slow motion. I could not figure out what was going on. I asked Jordan about it and she said it could have a lot to do with my stress. So, now something else to work on. After that work out of sprints in slow motion, I came home and decided to sit and be still, meditate and pray. Ah ha! that's it! That's what I needed to do. I realized I was trying to control all these different aspects of my life that only God can control. I realized that I was so worried about our future that I wasn't even living in the moment. I had no idea my body had taken a beating from me being so stressed.
So today, I have realized that its not just your work out or your diet or your mental health. Its ALL of it. There is so much more I could write about that has to do with my emotional healing and how all this ties in together. But for now I give you a taste of my day to day life and how it has changed. It has changed the way I interact with my family too.
I am excited to start the year with this transformation in progress. I just started my Yoga teacher training. I will become a CCYT(certified Christian yoga teacher) and a RYT ( registered Yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance). I look forward to learning more about how God created our bodies and how to take care of them.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

made with love, by Betsy




Meet my sister in law, Betsy. She is beautiful, trendy, the hostess with the mostess, giving, nurturing, loving, creative and crafty. She has made my family and I so many wonderful things. I dont have time to post all the wonderful Christmas things she has made. But I wanted to share all her gifts to us, and I know they come straight from her heart. Here is just some of her creative work...




Cruz's blanket

Cruz and Willow's one year pillow


nap mat for Cruz when he goes to preschool
nap mat ( matching his bedding, of course)
blanket

framed "w" for Willow

anthropology? nope, Betsy-ology

polka dot skirt for all the girl cousins with cute tag